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When Clark got back to the motel parking lot, now dressed more normally, he found Lois sitting in the passenger's seat of the truck waiting for him. She caught his eye as he climbed into the cab. Clark gave her a searching look. "You okay?"
Lois nodded rubbing a hand over her side. "Just a few bruises but I'll live. How's Sharon?"
"I think she's going to be okay." Before he'd left the hospital he'd heard the woman's vitals stabilize. It was Lois he was concerned about right now.
"Do you have any idea who that man was?" Lois reached for her seat belt.
Clark shook his head. "His super strength really caught me off guard. You sure you're not hurt?"
"Yes," said Lois as she dug the keys to the truck out of her pocket. "He must have been going easy on me, I don't think he was trying to kill me."
Clark frowned a little as he accepted the keys, fastening his own seat belt. Whatever was going on went a lot deeper than he'd thought. Turning the key in the ignition the truck came to life and Clark shifted into gear. He glanced at Lois again, checking one more time to see that she was okay.
Lois caught his eye, she knew what he was thinking. "I really am fine, babe."
"I know." He believed her. If she said she was fine, she was. She wouldn't hesitate to tell him if she thought she needed a doctor.
"I knew you'd be right there." Lois patted the pocket of her jacket where she kept the beacon.
"I know." She had the beacon for situations just like this one. It gave him a certain amount of peace of mind knowing she could always reach him. That peace of mind was always somewhat tempered given Lois' propensity to rush into danger in pursuit of the truth.
"I called you as soon as I needed help." Lois was on to him now, she knew he was trying to worry about her.
"I know." He knew that she wouldn't have delayed. By now she was well aware of when she could handle something, which was most of the time, and those rare occasions where she needed a little assistance from him.
"So stop giving me those looks." Lois said pointedly. "We have a deal, remember? I don't worry about you and you don't worry about me."
Clark let out a sigh and turned the truck out of the motel parking lot. "I'm not trying to, I know that you can take care of yourself and when you need help you'll call me. I know that. That doesn't mean that I like it when you're in trouble."
Lois quirked one of her eyebrows. "Well, I should hope not."
Clark laughed a little. "You know what I mean."
Lois reached out and gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "We've been doing this for what, almost twenty years now? I know that whenever I need you, wherever I am, you'll be there."
"Twenty years," Clark repeated, "has it really been that long?"
"Yep," said Lois. "And I know that you'll never stop worrying about me completely, just like I won't ever fully stop worrying about you, but please don't give me those sad puppy dog looks, they drive me crazy."
Clark laughed. It wasn't the first time Lois had said as much, but honestly, it had been a while since the last time he'd had to race to her rescue. "I know," he said one last time, raising a hand off the wheel in a defensive gesture. "The last person on earth I need to worry about is the intrepid reporter Lois Lane, but you've got to admit, being Lois Lane's husband isn't the easiest job in the world."
"I know it's not," Lois said giving him a sympathetic smile and patting his arm. "But now I know that Morgan Edge is up to something." Her voice no longer soft. "You don't send out super powered hit-men to kill sources if there's nothing to hide."
And there she was again, back on the case. It was one of the things he loved most about Lois, she was unshakable. She had a story in her teeth and she wasn't about to drop it. He glanced at Lois again, this time reassured that everything was fine. "So, what are you thinking about all of this?"
Lois dug into her purse and pulled out her notepad. "Well, let's start with the bad deal in New Carthage."
As Clark listened to Lois' outline of events he relaxed. She was fine. The hit-man was gone for now. Lois was right, he didn't need to give her those worried looks. If ever there was a person who could handle themselves it was Lois Lane. He just hoped that next time she met a source for her reporting it wouldn't be quite so dangerous.
"Morgan Edge is behind all of this and I'm going to make him pay."
Clark sighed, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. No such luck it seemed.